Why is it so hard to find affordable art?
It's not that it doesn't exist...
I have seen countless independent artist platforms come and go, ones that curate their selections, ones that don’t, but very few seem to be satisfactory to both artists and collectors.
What makes the art world so wonderful — that there isn’t one giant corporation dominating the industry — is one of the things that makes it so impossible for both the producers and consumers. When there are thousands of people making art in the privacy of their studios, connecting them to buyers is no small task.
My solution, therefore, doesn’t lie in creating that one stop shop (as I think it would destroy that magical decentralized market), but rather is in changing the consumer’s behavior, to be able to recognize art buying opportunities.
The first step is to overcome the roadblocks many assume are simply truths about the art world: that art is prohibitively expensive, esoteric and inaccessible, or just plain impossible to buy due to gallery gatekeepers judging you for not being chic or well connected enough.
What many think of as truths, I know to be myths.
Prints and drawings at the Hammer Museum in LA
So how do you find affordable art? Here are just a few of my tips:
Instagram — Not only is this a great way to discover artists without gallery representation (who you can DM and ask if they have anything for sale), artists sometimes sell work via their stories (yes, I have bought many things this way), so pay attention!
Local auction houses — Christie’s and Sotheby’s aren’t the only auction houses! Search your city + “auction house” to find a local auction house (with pick up because shipping is $$!), where bargains can be found.
Ask for the flat files — Ask a gallerist to see works on paper by an artist if you’re looking for a lower price point. Galleries often have plenty of drawings, collages, sketches, watercolors, etc. by the artists they represent for sale “in the back”, so ask to see them!
For more advice, be sure to check out my video that dives a little deeper into my tips and tricks.
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What are your best tips and tricks for finding affordable art? Leave a comment below!
Visit local artist studios wherever you go. I have a lot of affordable art for sale and struggle to find customers
Support artists in other ways. Lend them your barn or summer house, host a tea for friends and have the artist speak, show up for them at exhibits, see if they have go fund me or patron accounts, buy their cards and other affordable offerings. Chances are if you are in their lives and show support and make it known that you love their work? You’ll get a painting for a housewarming or graduation or wedding at some point. Many of my collectors could never afford a painting . . . I wait for opportunities to give them work. I love (and need!) the big sales but I also greatly appreciate all the people in my life that support me in other ways. It’s great to own artwork where you know the artist -- get to know artists!
And yes, studio tours and directly reaching out to artists on Instagram is a great way. After you make the connection, you can give them idea of size, subject matter, and budget and they will pull things for you. It’s the fun part -- looking and choosing. It can be a long fun process.
As Hall says, prints! Works on paper! I was eyeing a Louise Bourgeois print for a few thousand bucks at a gallery in Chelsea. Expensive but reachable.
Estate auctions are super fun too. Buy something that is appealing for a few hundred dollars and then spend years researching it.